A black MP in the French Parliament was told to "go back to Africa" by another politician in vile racist abuse that led to the suspension of the National Assembly.
A halt was called to proceedings on Thursday afternoon following the verbal attack on Carlos Martens Bilongo, a 31-year-old from a Congolese and Angolan background.
He was asking a parliamentary question about climate change when Grégoire de Fournas, the 37-year-old National Rally MP, shouted "go back to Africa".
French president Emmanuel Macron led a chorus of outrage, with an Élysee spokesman saying: "The President is hurt by these words which would be unacceptable inside parliament and outside parliament."
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne added: "Racism has no place in our democracy."
Members of Mr Macron’s party, Renaissance, meanwhile called for Mr Fournas to be expelled from the Assembly pending an enquiry.
After hearing the offending words, the duty vice-president, the equivalent of the Speaker, immediately asked: "Who is the MP who said that phrase? It’s not possible."
There were chants of "out, out, out!" by Mr Bilongo’s colleagues, of the left-wing France Insoumis (France Unbowed) party.
Then the culprit was identified as Mr Fournas, of the Gironde department in south west France.
Mr Fournas immediately tried to explain himself by saying he had been referring to "an African boat" full of immigrants which had difficulty "getting back into port".
He claimed that he had not meant his words to sound racist, and was supported by National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who said she would stand by him.
If follows Ms Le Pen, who was runner up in presidential election this year, pledging to change the image of her right-wing party, which used to be called the National Front.
It was founded by Ms Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is now a convicted racist and Holocaust denier.
France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin suggested that Ms Le Pen’s party had not changed at all.
Mr Darmanin tweeted: "Racism of a member of the National Assembly: from the FN to the RN, the name changes, but the hideous references and despicable habits remain. What a disgrace."
Parliamentary authorities meanwhile confirmed there would be a full investigation into Mr Fournas’ words, and this would start on Friday.
